"A Test Before Trying" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons' 24th season. It first aired on January 13, 2013. This episode is dedicated to Huell Howser, who died on January 7, 2013 of prostate cancer. The episode won the Writers Guild Awards 2014 in the category of Animation.

Contents

"Mr. Burns hikes up electricity prices, leaving most of Springfield unable to afford to use it as much as before. Springfield's schools cannot afford to use it as much either, and they decide to test every single student, and whichever school has the lowest test scores will close. Springfield Elementary gets the lowest test scores, but Lisa discovers that one student did not take the test and the school's fate will rely on his test scores: Bart's to be precise. Meanwhile, Homer uses a parking meter he found at the dump to fleece unwitting parkers of their quarters."

Mr. Burns raise electricity prices by 17%. Several residents and businesses in Springfield needs to start saving their power. The Simpson family is one of those that throw some of their household electrical items. The Springfield Elementary School also have problems with their economy after the increase the electricity prices and it is decided that the students of Springfield's district must doing a test and the school with the worst results forced to close. Homer is in the dumpster containing the thrown out electrical items where he find an old parking meter that he brings Homer. The students at Springfield Elementary doing their test and after they the test was corrected was it concluded that school is the worst in the state. The students at Springfield Elementary are starting to sending to other schools in the area when Lisa finds out that Bart did not take the test. If he makes the test and pass it, he can raise the result and saved the school.

Homer begins to skim the residents of Springfield on money by placing his parking meter. Bart is studying for the test he will doing the next day but he fell asleep and has not learned anything, he tells Seymour Skinner who makes so he gets an extra study day. Homer watching the news where they report that the police are chasing a person who had did parking scams and Homer realizes that the police are after him. The evening sees Lisa noticing that Bart is not studying and she yells at him for being selfish. Bart falls asleep and dreams that the residents in Springfield are stupid and after he wakes up, he asks Lisa for help. Lisa tell him to answer what he thinks first, if he cannot think of something he should answer B. Marge visits the Kwik-E-Mart while Jennifer Clarkeson is there and she talks to her about how important the school is for the children. Homer continues walking the streets with their parking scheme but gets caught by the police and accidentally destroys his parking meter. He goes home where Marge discovers the coins which he amassed, and she gets him to throw the money into a wishing well. Bart does the test but does not have time to answer the last question but an insect sits on the right answer. When they check his test on the last question, Bart gets it correct, and passes the test, meaning the school does not have to close. Marge thanks the testing proctor for what she now did and she tell her that this was a test of her humanity.

The music for the couch gag for this episode was left extremely late in production. On Thursday, January 10 (only 3 days before the episode was set to air), music editor Chris Ledesma was asked to come up with a new soundtrack for a new couch gag, which was replacing the current couch gag. Chris Ledesma had to start to score the music and get it ready for dubbing in only a few hours.[1]